Roll call: How Erie-area members of Congress voted

VOTERAMA IN CONGRESS

March 25, 2013 12:01 AM

VOTERAMA IN CONGRESS

March 25, 2013 12:01 AM

WASHINGTON -- Here's how area members of Congress voted in the week ending Friday.

House

2014 Republican budget

Voting 221 for and 207 against, the House on Thursday approved a Republican budget plan (H Con Res 25) that would reach balance by fiscal 2023 through steps such as changing Medicare into a voucher program; cutting Medicaid and food stamps and converting them to block-grant programs run by the states; repealing the Dodd-Frank financial-regulation law and parts of the 2010 health law; cutting farm subsidies and slashing most discretionary spending programs other than defense.

2014 Democratic budget

Voting 165 for and 253 against, the House on Wednesday rejected a Democratic budget that differed from the Republican plan (H Con Res 25, above) by increasing spending on programs such as education, transportation and scientific research; continuing traditional Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps and other safety-net programs as presently structured; levying $1.2 trillion in tax increases mainly on corporations and the wealthy and injecting $200 billion of stimulus into the economy to reduce unemployment.

2013 stopgap spending

Voting 318 for and 109 against, the House on Thursday sent President Barack Obama a stopgap appropriations bill to keep the government running for the final six months of fiscal 2013 at an annual level of $982 billion. While the bill (HR 933) locks in across-the-board spending cuts inflicted by the sequester, it also makes targeted cuts designed to undercut the Affordable Care Act and shackle the Dodd-Frank financial-reform law.

Senate

2013 stopgap spending

Voting 73 for and 26 against, the Senate on Wednesday sent the House a bill (HR 933, above) to fund the government from March 28 to Oct. 1 at an annual rate of $982 billion. The bill implements the sequestration cuts but gives five departments flexibility to ensure they accomplish essential missions.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Bob Casey, D.

Voting no: Pat Toomey, R.

Democrats' 2014 budget

Voting 50 for and 49 against, the Senate on Saturday approved a Democratic budget for fiscal 2014 and later years. The budget (SCR 8) levies $975 billion in new taxes over 10 years, mainly by reforming the tax code and increasing taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals; replaces the sequester's cuts with targeted austerity; authorizes $100 billion in infrastructure spending to create jobs; and protects the Medicare guarantee.

A yes vote backed the Democratic budget.

Voting yes: Casey.

Voting no: Toomey.

Republicans' 2014 budget

Voting 46 for and 53 against, the Senate on Thursday rejected a Republican bid to replace the Democratic budget (SCR 8, above) with a measure similar to the GOP budget approved the same day by the House. Known as "the Paul Ryan budget," that plan reaches balance in four years while repealing much of the Affordable Care Act, slashing domestic spending, raising military spending, privatizing Medicare after 10 years, sending Medicaid and food stamps to the states as block grants and barring tax hikes.